Barbara Randolph: The Collection (2002)...plus

One of the most under-recognized Motown singers of the ‘60s, Barbara Randolph became a firm favourite on the UK Northern Soul scene for years with her single 'I Got a Feeling', from 1967, which was also one of the most in demand songs on the label. Not a great deal is written about Ms Randolph as she only released two singles during her stint at Hitsville, including the aforementioned '45' coupled with the excellent 'You've Got Me Hurtin' All Over', which was released in the US as a single in its own right coupled with a cover version of Marvin Gaye's 1964 hit 'Can I Get a Witness'. All three titles open this set, the rest are seeing the light of day for the very first time since they were recorded in 1969. Barbara sang vocals with the legendary Platters at one stage before moving to Hitsville, where she recorded these songs which are equally as good as anything that can be heard from other Motown divas such as Barbara McNair, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Brenda Holloway. She was even considered by Berry Gordy Jr. as a replacement for Florence Ballard of the Supremes, but legend has it that Diana Ross (jealous of her looks) rejected the idea. Barbara's vocals are incredible, a bit rougher than the usual Motown female singer, with a style that is more in keeping with the Detroit indie mode of the Northern Soul scene and that occasionally reminds a little of Barbara Lewis. Most of the unissued tracks were recorded in 1969, and honestly, they're so great, it’s difficult to figure out why Motown never put them out back in the ‘60s. Titles include '(I'm a) Roadrunner', ‘Bah Bah Bah’, ‘I'm So Thankful’, ‘I'll Turn To Stone’, ‘When It Rains It Pours’, ‘Baby Don't You Do It’, ‘You Finally Outdone Yourself’, ‘Chained’, and ‘Why Fight It’. I have enlarged the collection adding four tracks from her 1992 album Breaking into My Heart, plus an alternate take of 'When It Rains It Pours'. http://www.dustygroove.com/, http://sixtiesmotown.co.uk/

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Barbara Randolph appears with her husband Eddie Singleton in this clip capturing the recording session of 'Mister Wonderful', one of the songs I included as bonus track, and which was apparently written about Barbara's love for him. Years later, she suddenly and without warning left Eddie, and told him she had fallen out of love with him, something he couldn't come to terms with, so he moved to South Africa. It transpired that she knew she was wasting away from cancer, and didn't want him to see her die slowly. That is why she left him and lied to him, just to spare him the agony. He only found this out after her death, in 2002. Knowing this tragedy makes this video so poignant:

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